


The Price of a Life

by TheDragonWithTheBloodyTears



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Author Hates The All Important Women Are Designated Medics Trope, Character Study, Comedy, Coming of Age, Fix-It of Sorts, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, OCs - Freeform, Romance, Seal Master Sakura, Spirits, Strong Sakura, Summons, finding yourself, team seven, undecided pairings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:08:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27828748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDragonWithTheBloodyTears/pseuds/TheDragonWithTheBloodyTears
Summary: It all happened so fast.In one moment, there she was. Standing there in front of Tazuna, a kunai clutched protectively in her hand. She remembered feeling a whole host of different things- apprehension, fear, excitement… guilt. All gnawing at the delicate inner skin of her belly, desperate for some semblance of release.And in the next, she was dead. Nothing more than a cooling carcass thumping to the ground, her blood glinting off Zabuza’s blade through the gnarled hole in her chest.--In which a split-second decision costs Sakura her life and an unlikely ally offers it back.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 67





	The Price of a Life

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Ah, it feels good to be back in the Naruto fandom.

* * *

  
It’s funny, the things we think about when we know we’re about to die. Like how nice the wind felt as it blew through Sakura’s sweaty hair, or whether or not she’d remembered to turn in last week’s mission report.

Stupid, mundane, arbitrary- senseless things her last thoughts were. And yet-

It all happened so fast.

In one moment, there she was. Standing there in front of Tazuna, a kunai clutched protectively in her hand. She remembered feeling a whole host of different things- apprehension, fear, excitement… guilt. All gnawing at the delicate inner skin of her belly, desperate for some semblance of release.

And in the next, she was dead. Nothing more than a cooling carcass thumping to the ground, her blood glinting off Zabuza’s blade through the gnarled hole in her chest.

* * *

Sakura didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there, curled up against the cement wall, knees pulled up to her chest. But judging from the sky whose dark purple clouds bleed into the pink and orange of day, it had been a while.

Despite not knowing how she got there, she recognized where she was. The splashing of waves and the salty scent of ocean water could only mean one thing- she was on the bridge. Tazuna’s bridge.

For a long while, she’s contemplated leaving. She knew the way back to the village like the palm of her hand. They’d made the brief journey many times in their stay with the bridge builder and his family. And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to move. Every time the thought crossed her mind, deep-seated exhaustion consumed her, pulling at her eyelids and limbs until she was sure she would pass out. 

So she didn’t move, didn’t think, simply sat there and gazed up at the marvelous canvas the sky laid out before her.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Sakura flinched. She hadn’t been expecting anyone to show up so soon. It was still early, after all, and Tazuna normally slept well into the morning before making the trek over. But perhaps she should have known better. The mornings were cool and refreshing, a far cry from the blistering heat of mid-day.

Maybe, just maybe, others had finally come to help finish the project. She knew that the presence of shinobi in the village had been a relief to some. While it wasn’t their job to defend the villagers, she knew Ninja of the Leaf had a bit of a _reputation_ for meddling where they didn’t quite belong.

“It is,” she replied, her eyes not once leaving the sky. “Like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

“May I join you?” The stranger hummed and after a moment’s hesitation, she nodded.

Seemingly out of thin air, a _beast_ of an animal manifested next to her, stealing the breath from Sakura’s lungs. The animal was massive- easily five times her size and covered with black and orange stripes, with a long and thick tail that bat the air lazily behind it.

As if sensing her discomfort, it crouched low, trying to make itself as small as possible. But really it just made her unease that much more palpable, its crouched position dimly reminding her of a wolf about to pounce on its prey.

“W-who are you?” Sakura squeaked, subconsciously trying to scoot away from the beast.

It quirked its head, the strangely masculine voice emanating from it once again. “They call me Yui. And what might your name be, destined one?”

“I-I…” Destined one? Sakura wasn’t any destined one. She was normal…. Not some prodigy, not someone of a prominent clan, not pretty nor smart…. She wasn’t special, and certainly not destined for anything. “S-Sakura…. Sakura Haruno.” 

“Sakura Haruno, hmm?” The beast tested her name slowly over its tongue, imprinting the syllables to memory. “How lovely.” 

She didn’t respond, merely curling her knees close to her chest as she eyed the animal.

Something flickered across its face as it eyed her back. “I see you aren’t fond of this form yet,” it continued, a massive ear flicking the air. “I shall change for you.” 

In an instant, the animal was no more and in its place stood a tall yet lithe man. He had dark skin, darker and richer than anything Sakura had ever seen in her life, with slitted eyes of liquid gold. His orange mane pooled along his feet, twinkling with ornaments as graceful fingers patted the delicate folds of his elaborate kimono.

“Yes, this form should be far more suitable.” 

Sakura felt her mouth go dry. Her brain trying valiantly to rationalize what her eyes were witnessing. But clearly, there was some miscommunication somewhere, because there was no way she’d just seen an animal transform into a human.

Right?

“W-what _are_ you?” 

“What am I?” The man mused, lips quirking in amusement. “I believe your kind refer to us as summons. Though we prefer to be called what we are- spirits.”

Immediately, the thought of ghosts filled her head. Specifically the terrifying stories of evil specters that Ino had told her about when they were young. It sent a shiver down her spine. But this man… he couldn’t be one of those, could he? 

Because if he was a ghost, and Sakura was able to see him, then that would mean… that would mean that she was dead too.

“Ah!” Sakura screamed, that familiar pain tearing through her chest again. It felt like it was getting wider, like some forcefully grabbing the edges, tearing her apart. Her body began to shake, short sobs spilling out between cracked lips.

“So, you’ve figured it out then.” 

Sakura stared up at her through her tears, eyes desperately begging for help, but Yui just shook his head, softly sighing. 

“I am _so_ sorry it had to be this way, destined one. That pain you feel now is composed of two things. The pain of death, and the pain of life,” he sounded mournful, couching down close to Sakura’s trembling form. “But it need not continue so. I could make it stop.”

His words made little sense to Sakura, who could barely make sense of anything through the agony. But she did catch that last part, the promise of relief a balm to her aching soul. 

“P-please!” she wailed. “Gods, please! A-anything to make this stop!” 

“You must be sure, child,” Yui continued, extending his hand in offering for her to take. “For a guiding hand back to the living comes at a steep price.”

But Sakura was too far gone to weigh the implications of such things, and in one motion, she grabbed onto the offered hand in a vice-like grip.


End file.
